I'll Be There
by Sulphuric Wolf
Summary: Orangeshipping TraceyxMisty. No real exxy bits, but an iffy kiss slipped in.


I'll be there – an Orangeshipping Fanfic

I'll be there – an Orangeshipping Fanfic

(MistyxTracey. Have a problem with the shipping? Don't read.)

Pallet town's small, white houses were lit by a warm, caressing sun. It was a beautiful warm day, and the bright sun shone in the sky, looking like something out of a painting. Birds squawked and fluttered in the trees, while their prey dozed safely in the grass.

Misty loved days like this in Pallet; often she would take her Pokemon down to the small pond at the foot of the little city. She decided to do this after taking her Luvdisc to Oak.

A few days ago, Luvrein had developed an odd white tinge to his scales. He was not interested in eating, and just floated at the bottom of his pool sadly. Worried for the red, heart shaped fish, Misty had journeyed here to Pallet, in hope that her old acquaintance Professor Oak, a world reclaimed expert on Pokemon, would be able to find out what was wrong.

This wasn't the short-tempered, red-headed girl's only intention. She was now fifteen years old, quite a few years had passed since she had journeyed with her first love, Ash the Pokemon trainer, and their friend Brock. For most of the journey around Kanto, the orange islands and in Johto, Misty had had a rather embarrassing crush on the scruffy haired boy.

Now Misty spent all her time in Cerulean Gym with her sisters, helping out and looking after the water types. The time she had spent there had managed to quench her love for the boy, but she still felt some degree of nostalgia for the little quest. Misty was hoping that seeing Oak, who she had frequently visited while on her adventures with Ash and the gang, would help ease her nostalgia. Maybe Tracey, a Pokemon Watcher a few years older than Misty that had joined them on their Orange Island shenanigans, would be there too.

As Misty arrived at the large white lab that sat smack bang in the middle of the tiny town of Pallet, she pressed the doorbell and waited. Staring at her reflection in the shiny windows of the lab, she straitened her ginger pigtails carefully, and brushed some dirt off her simple clothes.

Soon enough she heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and a key scratching in the lock. Misty gulped nervously. She had not seen either of the lab's human inhabitants in a long time.

The door swang open, revealing a tall, dark haired boy in a green t-shirt and red shorts.

His long, greenish-black hair was pulled back out of his dark green eyes by a faded red bandana. His face, despite being square jawed and strong looking, was gentle and happy to see her. As well as being taller than Misty had remembered him, the boy had a broad, square chest without being muscular.

Misty liked Tracey, but she really wished he would let her sort out his wardrobe.

"Hi Misty! I haven't seen you in ages!" Tracey's voice had deepened and strengthened over the last few years, but still retained that soft, friendly tone that made him instantly likeable.

Misty smiled back at the Pokemon Watcher shyly. "Hey, Trace. It seems like ages since we travelled in the islands. How have you been?"

Tracey flipped an invisible latch on the screen door to allow Misty in. "Oh, I've been good. The excitement of working with a world famous professor dies down after a while, but it's still fun to draw all the Pokemon we have come in. How's that Azuril I gave you going?"

Misty walked around Tracey, into the main hallway of the lab. Man, this brought back memories. "Oh, she's fine. She might evolve into a Marril like her mum soon." Misty looked around. "Where's Oak?"

"Oh, he's just gone to Viridian to buy some supplies. Come into the lounge, and I'll get you some tea."

Misty smiled at her old friend. "Sounds great!" Tracey returned the smile and met her eyes for a few seconds. Misty couldn't help noticing what a beautiful colour they were: deep green like the bulb of a young Bulbasaur.

Tracey began to grin at her, at which point she realised she was staring. "Sorry," she muttered embarrassedly, and ran past the boy to hide the fact that her cheeks were turning an embarrassed crimson colour.

As she pushed some Pokemon textbooks off the cream coloured lounge in Oak's cluttered living room, she could here Tracy chuckle as he started to boil the kettle.

Misty shut her eyes tightly, and wished the blush away. Glancing at her refection in the window, she noted with a sigh that her cheeks were as pale as they usually were, and tried to act cool. Tracey walked into the living room holding a plate with two cups of tea on it to find Misty staring awkwardly out the window.

"Um, here's your tea." He sat down on the lounge beside her.

Misty snapped back into reality. "Oh, thanks." She muttered hurriedly, taking the cup from him, avoiding his gaze, and taking a sip.

"Mmm, this tea is just how I remember it: wonderful! How do you do it?"

Tracey grinned at her smugly. "Oh, I couldn't tell you that! It's a family secret." He sipped from his cup before saying: "What brings you here?"

"Oh, just a nasty looking tinge on Luverin's scales." _And a bit of nostalgia_, thought Misty, but she wouldn't tell him that.

"How is it at the gym, with your sisters?" Tracey put a sassy edge to this last word – Misty knew he had a bit of a crush on Daisy, one of Misty's siblings.

The girl frowned, her bright blue eyes twinkling with a hint of annoyance. "Annoying as usual. But it's not like I've got anything better to do."

Tracey glanced at her sadly with his gentle eyes. "Awwww, don't be like that. You know you can come and stay here at the labs if you want."

Misty smiled at the kind boy's offer. "Thanks a bunch. I'll probably have to for a while, since Luverin seems pretty bad. D'you have a spare bed?"

Tracey looked excited of the prospect of having an old friend over. "Yeah, sure! We always keep a spare bed made up; sometimes lost travellers wind up here."

Misty smiled and nodded, looking around at the clutter. It felt like just yesterday that she was here with Ash. While she no longer had a romantic interest in him, she still missed him as a friend. The idea of him travelling around with some other girl was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Tracey, being a sensitive boy, noticed immediately. "What's the matter?"

Misty looked up at him with watery eyes. "Oh, don't worry. I'm just feeling a bit sad, that's all."

Tracey moved closer, a concerned look on his gentle face. "No, tell me. It's better to share these things, y'know."

Misty sighed and started into the boy's caring eyes. _Oh well, I guess I can tell him. What harm can it do?_

"Well, I feel a bit cheated that I got left with my stupid sisters while some girl got to go off with Ash."

Tracey was not at all taken aback by her comment about Ash. "Do you like him?"

Misty stared at the old carpet and shook her head, allowing salty tears to drip down her face. "Not anymore, but it still hurts."

Tracey bit his bottom lip, and stared at the ceiling, twiddling his long artist's fingers nervously. "Here's how I see it. Ash, being a young boy, is rather insensitive. While I know he's matured while on his journeys, part of him will always be that immature ten-year-old who didn't know what a Pidgey was. Remember that girls mature a lot quicker than boys."

Misty smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Trace." While his advice made sense to her, it didn't stop her feeling sad.

Tracey put a careful arm around her shoulders. While his arm was heavy on her small, skinny shoulders, it was warm and comforting. Misty rested her head on his soft, broad shoulder as he pulled her into a warm hug. He held her tightly, but not uncomfortably.

Embarrassingly, Misty began to sob on the boy's shoulder. _Poor guy, I've just come to his house to have a sob. No wonder I can never pick up boys. _

Misty pulled her head away from Tracey's shoulder, his strong arms still holding her. Wiping fresh tears away, she noticed with an embarrassing pang a dark patch on the green material of his t-shirt.

"Oh my god, your shirt! I'm so sorry!"

Tracey shook his head at her. "Don't worry about it; that's what friends are for. Unless…" Tracey looked at her questioningly, his dark green eyes soft.

"Listen" he began. "There's gonna be a little party that the Pallet kids have invited me to, but I don't have a date. I was wondering… would you like to come?" He looked nervously at Misty, as if he was worried she would say no.

Misty grinned at him. "You silly boy, of course I'll go!" Then her face dropped into a scowl, showing that fiery nature she was famous for. "But no ditching me for prettier girls, okay?

Tracey laughed as if this was absurd. "Of course not! Besides," he blushed. "There are no prettier girls."

Misty turned similar shade of scarlet. Giggling, she punched his chest. He had no reaction to this even though she had punched quite hard; his chest had a thin layer of natural muscle but was still soft.

She turned her back on him and rested the back of her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her. "I can't wait for the party. It'll really help me forget Ash and that girl…"

She felt Tracey nod. "You should stay at the lab for a while. Can't have those sisters of yours narking you up while you're like this."

Misty shut her eyes. "I think I will. They'd just tease me about my feelings. Not like you."

Tracey smiled, and stroked a strand of orange hair out of Misty's face. "Just rest for a little while. I'll wake you up when Oak gets here."

Misty nodded. "Okay, but first…"

It all happened in a few split seconds. The girl turned around and locked lips with Tracey, kneeling on the lounge, his arms wrapped around her. Their passionate embrace lasted for three good minutes, before they broke away. Misty pulled the scrunchies out of her hair, letting the silky ginger mane hang around her shoulders. Then she sat on his lap, letting him hold her.

"Thankyou so much, Trace. I really needed this."

"No worries. You know I'll always be here for you."

Misty fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face. Tracey fell asleep soon after, not long before Oak arrived home to find the lovers in their adorable embrace.

The old man chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Ah, young love. And between two great kids." Oak watched them for a while, and then walked into his lab. "I always knew there was something going on with Tracey and Misty. Good thing too. Unlike Ash, Tracey will always be there for her."

Oak was rarely mislead.

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C&C Welcome.


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